I love the idea of separated bike lanes, but as a cyclist in Texas I've seen a lot of people in the cycling community voice concerns that it fosters the already overwhelming motorist attitude that "bikes do not belong on the road." I don't know if this is true or not. If a city committed to a comprehensive network of separated bike lanes by x year, I would think cyclists would find it worthy of enduring some years of even worse animosity when they're forced to share the road with cars or "take the lane." In many cities, no such plan is anywhere on the horizon. In cities like mine, Houston, sprawling and car-worshipping and full of hatred toward cyclists, it feels like a pipe dream.
There's a subtle difference here that's important to note. I don't think bikes belong on the road, but I do think bikes deserve roadspace. Saying "bikes do not belong on the road" could just as well mean "I don't want to sacrifice my car space for bike space". That being said, I think the hatred for bikes by motorists mainly exists because bikes are a liability to them. "These bikes infiltrate my road space!". With segregated lanes, it doesn't look like they use the road at all, and there's no direct threat to motorists. Who would be angry at bicyclists if you hardly even noticed them? Imagine pedestrians not having a sidewalk, and being forced to walk on the road between the cars. They shouldn't be on the road for obvious reasons. If you treat bikes simply as faster pedestrians, doesn't it make sense to also exclude them from the road? I've written about bikes before. There's more work to be done than just infrastructure: proper policies can do a lot to improve the hostile relation between cars and bikes.
Also, veen, I wonder if people are less likely to wear helmets when the lanes are more separated? -Just a curiosity but my guess is they are. What's the helmet situation in NL like?cars do not belong on the road."
-Do you mean bikes do not belong on the road?
Nobody wears helmets, except maybe small children who fall over as much as they bike. Biking here is very safe, so people don't see it as dangerous at all. Wearing helmets here has been shown to actually increase the risk, as people with helmets tend to overestimate how protected they are, and thus bike more reckless.